Gout Foods to Avoid
If you are suffering from gout, you no doubt realize that your arthritis issues come in waves and attacks, instead of as a consistent pain. Many people have done research and experiments to understand exactly what causes gout, and more importantly, what you can do to avoid gout issues altogether. While there are many different things that you can do to attempt to avoid gout, one of the major ways to help yourself and your body is to focus on your diet. Believe it or not, your diet severely affects how gout can affect your body.The reason that your diet can affect gout by such a sizeable margin is because of the chemicals that are in certain food. The main cause of gout is uric acid. Uric acid is created from the breakdown of purines, which are found in food. The buildup of uric acid, due to producing too much, or being unable to rid the body of them, causes what we know as gout symptoms. If you are trying to avoid gout altogether, or are trying to figure out how to help yourself fight gout attacks, you should take note of foods to avoid. There are certain foods that have different levels of purines, meaning that they increase your risk of having a gout attack.
Foods to Severely Limit
There are certain foods that are incredibly high in purines, the chemical that breaks down to create uric acid in the body. Basically, any type of meat has a lot of these purines, and should be limited in those with problems with gout. This includes, but is not limited to, bacon, pork, ham, and beef (both ground and steak). Other types of meats and certain types of seafood (such as anchovies and scallops) are also high in purines, and should be avoided. Unfortunately for many, beer and alcohol can also create high levels of uric acid.
Foods to Monitor
Certain foods do not need to be avoided, but there are certain gout foods to avoid in large quantities. Mushrooms, spinach, and asparagus are some of the vegetables that have levels of purines that could hurt your chances of avoiding gout. Most types of fish have at least moderate levels of these purines, and should also be atched.
While these are foods to avoid if you are trying to avoid gout, it does not mean that they are completely off limits. Small amounts of these foods will not cause a drastic amount of change in the uric acid count in the body. By limiting these foods (or avoiding them altogether when dealing with an attack), you are adding a prevention step that can help you avoid the attacks that are painful. With gout, prevention is key, as it is better to catch attacks before they happen.
